Magic
Magic, magical energy, or true magic'' (as opposed to stage magicians and illusionists) is an observed phenomena that allows certain individuals to bend the rules of science and reality to a limited degree for a temporary period of time. Magic has been observed in only a limited percentage of the Human population (about one to two in every 200 individuals) but nonetheless is clearly documented and an integral part of contemporary world politics and everyday life. The few individuals able to control magic and to project such powers are able to do so via a channeling device such as a wand, scepter, or staff, all of which rely on the exotic material Red Matter (Rm) to function. Some vehicles, weaponry, and technology are powered by Rm, and require magically-inclined individuals to operate. History Human discovery of magical energy manipulation Magic usage was for the most part extremely limited throughout pre-industrial history. Since all magic requires a catalyst in the form of Red Matter within a channeling device, few were able to construct such tools that would be able to successfully contain the substance, which was difficult to obtain in the first place. The first known usage of magic coincided with the first known successful containment of Red Matter in the 11th century. Ancient wizards such as Merlin were one of the first that successfully contained Areum. Ancient runes and rituals came into use as a method in which to control and practice magic. Due to the complexity of magic and the requirement of specific intent to perform it, runes served as instructions to be read, and rituals as procedures to carry them out. Chanting often helped users concentrate on what they were doing, and became a stereotype of wizards and mages, as did spellbooks and runic circles, which were simply lines drawn in the ground to measure the radius of their area of effect, otherwise known as the Red Line. Runes and these ancient traditions today are not in use, as magic Professor James Hendelsworth put it, "''You'd be better off shouting the contents of a random Wikipedia page." Throughout the following centuries the supernatural tended to be practiced by select individuals belonging to secretive magical wizarding communities, as there was prevalent disbelief, if not outright hostile attitudes towards wizards by non-magical humans. Middle Ages Human wizards often came into contact with other humanoid-magical beings, often leading to skirmishes between groups and bitter rivalry between races. These non-human magical communities tended to be in somewhat isolated regions, typically cold, which enabled use of their magical abilities thanks to the cool temperature allowing the easy extraction and refinement of Areum in their homelands. Biomancy and herbology was a magical study practiced commonly by early wizarding communities. Tampering and experimentation of animal and plant DNA resulted in bizarre and often dangerous human created beasts such as Griffons, Phoenixes, Manticores, and Pegasi. Alchemy was another study focused on transmuting material and along with some aspects of biomancy, attaining immortality. Vlad the Impaler used magic to create vampires during his reign of terror, and established the myth of the magical species, despite himself being their creator and not one himself. Age of Sail With the advent of international trade and sailing ships that could cross the known world, magic slowly began to become more accessible to the average wizard, with Rm becoming increasingly more common, thus leading to a rise in the population of practicing wizards. During this time, an unnamed mage in Europe broke one of the most sacred rules in the wizarding community. Biomancy was to be limited to plants and animals 'beneath' humanoids; the manipulation of human flesh was considered to be a grave taboo punishable by death. To this day, magical traces lie heavily in the Anthro-feralis species, which have a higher disposition towards magic than humans. Scientific Revolution Magic was studied more extensively during the Scientific Revolution. Many magical theories were developed around this time, such as the concept of subspace. Greater understanding of the natural world helped augment magical power, as magical powers required intent and an understanding of the natural world's laws in order to effectively break said laws. Alchemy, a magical art related closely to chemistry, became more refined during this period. Other theories, such as the thought that the source of magical energy was the sun were debunked, as thorough experimentation became common. Biomancy made similarly significant strides thanks to the work of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, whose experiments in reanimation of tissue, while not truly bringing someone back from the dead due to the inability of magic to reverse or cheat death, were still crucial to medical science and understanding of the human body. Industrial Revolution and Global Revelation During the Industrial Revolution, the practice of magic became more commonplace thanks to Areum and high quality, less expensive wands becoming readily available to wizards. Magic began to be practiced constantly and by a significantly higher percentage of people as a result. This boom proved to non-magical people that magic was unmistakably a real thing, and that was now something that general society must address. Proof had spawned on every street corner in front of countless people, including and especially government officials. Magic could no longer be kept separate. This exponential growth is known as the Global Revelation. As a result, many governments around the world established magical divisions to address their wizarding communities. An example of this is the United States' Department of Magical Affairs. 20th Century and World Wars When World War I broke out, many states of course were immediately interested in using magic, and several made specific efforts to draft wizards. The United States did not institute a specialized wizarding draft. Magic was used on the battlefield, with wizard soldiers utilizing their wands and spells instead of the standard-issue weapons, and using their spells to manipulate their surrounding environments to their advantage. However aside from their already-existing abilities, mechanized warfare was still mostly non-magical due to wizards being only a fairly recent introduction to society. This would change in the Second World War. World War II saw the rise of magical technology in warfare, and magically-enhanced weaponry. Modern Day Many schools around the globe, including and especially state universities and colleges, have a magical department for wizards who wish to practice magic or a specific subtype of magic as their career. Accredited higher education institutions offer degrees in the study of magic, and wizardry is a highly versatile study that is in demand by many non-magic organizations and industries because of the benefits of magical enhancement (such as manufacturing and metalworking, which uses magic to aid with purity and quality control, and to enhance materials such as titanium.) Magic is used by many military, paramilitary and police forces, with wizards being assigned to specialized divisions with purpose built magical equipment. Magic also has accelerated technology greatly, aiding in numerous scientific breakthroughs and the proliferation of green energy. Numerous things that would otherwise be impossible have been brought about by the integration of magic into society. Characteristics There are defined limits to what magic can and cannot do. Simply put, a constant law of magical power is that it is only temporary; anything that is not possible according to the laws of physics, chemistry or biology will immediately collapse and revert to a state that is naturally possible when the magical energy force sustaining it ceases. * Magic requires channeling devices in order to utilize and concentrate magical energy in enough quantities to be effective or noticeable. No wizard is capable of magic without Areum, otherwise known as Red Matter. The Red Matter cores act as a 'lighting rod' where an epicenter of magical energy is charged and released. * Magic requires specific intent. A wizard in effect, must know exactly what he wants to happen and needs to will it to happen, consciously and deliberately. Scientific studies and a knowledge of how the environment around oneself works greatly enhances a wizard's power, as their greater knowledge of the universe at large allows them to understand chemical processes behind reactions, the composition of materials and other sciences, which contribute to their abilities. As a result many wizards are also scientists and the more versatile and varied ones are highly educated. * Magic is more powerful when it is channeled closer to a wizard, and has an area of effect. Wizards cannot affect the environment out of their area of effect, which is referred to as the Red Line. The closer the source of Areum to the wizard, the more effectively magic can be channeled. If the source of Areum is beyond the Red Line, then a wizard cannot manipulate it. Objects beyond the Red Line are out of range of a wizard's abilities. Limits of magic * Magic is temporary. Conjured objects such as water, flame, metal, and others will only last a short time and are imperfect replicas of what they are mimicking. Because matter cannot create matter, these conjured materials must be drawn from nearby or from magical energy within the fabric of spacetime itself. In the case of the later, the conjured element will disintegrate and vanish as soon as the magical force being applied ceases. ** Pyrokinetic wizards draw the combustion materials from their surroundings and atmosphere, as well as generating heat with their magical energy. ** Aquakinetic and ice wizards draw water from the atmosphere. If there is no water vapor in the air, they may resort to combining hydrogen and oxygen atoms into water molecules, essentially synthesizing water on the spot, but this takes significantly more energy. ** Electricity wielding wizards ionize gaseous atoms and create charges within the atmosphere to generate electricity and lightning. ** Transfigured objects will collapse back into whatever form is scientifically possible as soon as magical energy ceases to be applied. Magical energy is only a force, it is not a permanent binding solution. Mass can be added or removed by converting it into magical energy and shunting it into subspace, but the more mass to manipulate, the more energy it takes. This increases exponentially and becomes difficult quickly. * Magic cannot create or destroy matter. '''Magic cannot materialize matter of out nowhere, though it can convert it to corporeal form from energy. * '''Magic cannot create or destroy energy. '''Magic cannot create or destroy energy out of nowhere, but it can transmute it into matter or it can dissipate it back into the magical aether of subspace. * '''Magic cannot reverse death. Corpses can be reanimated, but death is permanent. There is no way to return a deceased spirit into a corporeal form after it has passed the boundary line between life and death. * Magic cannot cheat death. Though lifespans can be greatly extended using magic and wounds healed, diseases cured, magic has an upper limit when it comes to prolonging life. Spirits and ghosts are only faint whispers of what was once living. Types of magic * [[Alchemy|'Alchemy']] is the art of transmuting and changing the properties of elements and materials, often converting them from one element to another. * [[Biomancy|'Biomancy']] is the art of modifying living organisms with magic. ** Magiflora is the study of magical planets and fungi, and creation of them. ** Magifauna is the study of magical creatures and creation of them. ** Human mutation is a forbidden realm of biomancy as it breaks the sacred vows by the wizarding world to not tamper with human flesh. Despite this there are wizard who have tried to varying levels of success. * Technomancy is the art of enhancing and accelerating technological and mechanical development by applying magic and combining it with engineering. * Transfiguration is the art of transforming and shifting the shape and appearance of an object into something else. It is similar to Alchemy, but is significantly more complex and requires highly advanced knowledge.